TBM Report
A catastrophic collision between a passenger bus and a train at Paduar Bazar, Cumilla, left at least 12 people dead and 10 others critically injured in the early hours of Sunday (March 22). The impact was so severe that the train’s engine pierced through the middle of the bus, dragging the mangled wreckage for nearly a kilometer before coming to a halt at Daiyara village. Eyewitnesses described a scene of absolute carnage, with blood-stained seats and the belongings of victims scattered along the tracks.
Ariful Islam, a 21-year-old local resident who was among the first to arrive at the site, recounted the trauma of finding dismembered bodies while survivors struggled to breathe inside the wreckage. “The bus was awash with blood,” he said, visibly shaken by the ordeal. Another rescuer, Jamal Hossain, described the harrowing moment they found the train’s engine embedded deep inside the bus’s frame. Residents of Daiyara village rushed to help, using their bare hands and simple tools to pull people from the ruins, as they waited nearly two hours for emergency services to arrive.
The humanitarian toll is staggering, with reports confirming that victims included a mother and her two young daughters, along with several couples. Local anger is mounting over the delayed response from emergency services; residents claimed that despite multiple calls to the 999 helpline and fire services, official help only arrived after the local rescue effort was largely complete. The site remains a grim reminder of the tragedy, littered with food packets, gifts, and bloodied clothing from a journey that ended in despair.
Authorities have since suspended two gatemen and formed three high-level committees to investigate the cause of the disaster. While rail communication between Dhaka and Chattogram has been restored, the scars left on the community are deep. The haunting cries of the trapped passengers and the silence that followed will linger in the memories of the Daiyara village rescuers, who stood as the only line of hope during that long, bloody night.
. The impact was so severe that the train's engine pierced through the middle of the bus, dragging the mangled wreckage for nearly a kilometer before coming to a halt at Daiyara village. Eyewitnesses described a scene of absolute carnage, with blood-stained seats and the belongings of victims scattered along the tracks.){kind=link}